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Open Source Software is precisely that: open. It is legal to modify it so you can change it to accommodate your special requirements. If you are not happy with your vendor, you can switch to another vendor that supports your software.
When you use Open Source Software, the work can be done cheaply and at the same time you are helping to generate local jobs.
When you don't use Open Source Software support or maintenance is provided only by an entity that has the right to exercise exclusive control over its sale or distribution.
The fact that open software is free does not mean it does not provide high quality. Linux, FreeBSD, Apache, PHP and MySQL are good examples of free applications which have earned tremendous credibility. More than 69% of all the web servers on the Internet run Apache and 36% of all the servers on the Internet use Linux as its operating system (Netcraft, accessed April 2005).
There is trend in Australia and other countries towards the use of Open Source Software in public bodies. The 10th of Decenmber 2003 a bill was approved in the Australia Capital Teritory (ACT) which says that public bodies should, as far as practicable, consider the use of open source software when procuring computer software.
The bill was introduced in July by Democrat Roslyn Dundas. "Since June this year, the ACT government has paid almost $15 million to Microsoft for software licence fees. Open source software was available that could have done the job more cheaply and provided local jobs," Ms Dundas said.
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